One Piece

The battle was over. The colossal titan now lay crumbled in the valley below, scattered across the shattered terrain like broken statues. The wind whistled through the canyons, carrying with it the dust of a world reshaped by Kael's sheer might.

High above it all, Kael sat alone atop a jagged mountain peak, legs crossed, eyes fixed on the horizon. The air was crisp, the fading sunlight painting the sky with strokes of crimson, orange, and gold. Twin suns dipped toward the edge of this world, setting slowly like a curtain call on his first divine performance.

The Ruyi Jingu Bang rested beside him, shrunken back into its needle form and tucked behind his ear. His golden cloud hovered quietly nearby, drifting like a lazy breeze.

Kael exhaled deeply. "This power... it's unreal."

The silence was peaceful—until a soft ripple of space formed beside him. Stars gathered and coalesced into form. The god appeared, less intimidating this time, taking a more humanoid shape that shimmered faintly like stardust.

"Nice, isn't it?" the god said, voice calm and knowing.

Kael didn't look at him at first. He just kept watching the sun melt into the mountains.

"Yeah," he replied quietly. "Kinda sad, though. I'll be starting over once I get to the One Piece world. No Nimbus, no mountain-shattering swings… not right away, at least."

The god chuckled, stepping forward to stand beside him. "Growth is half the fun. If you had everything from the start, the journey would be meaningless."

Kael nodded, accepting the truth of it. Then he turned, eyes curious.

"When will I be able to use Ruyi?"

The god's eyes gleamed with a flicker of cosmic light.

"Once you've unlocked 10% of your Monkey King powers," he said. "If I had to guess... around the time you're knee-deep in battle with Crocodile."

Kael raised an eyebrow. "Figures. That guy's gonna be a pain."

He stood up, brushing off the back of his shorts and turning to face the god fully. His gaze swept across the vast world one last time—the destroyed mountains, the cratered plains, the sunset sky glowing with twin lights.

"Can I come back here?" he asked. "When I finish the story. After it's all said and done?"

The god smiled, folding his arms across his chest.

"Of course. Take it as a bonus from me," he said. "Call it... a divine afterparty."

Kael grinned. "Good. I'd like to see how far I've come when it's all over."

He took one final breath of the crisp air, etched the beauty of the moment into his mind, and then looked the god in the eye.

"Alright. I'm ready."

The god gave a single nod. His finger snapped, and the entire world began to ripple like water disturbed by a drop.

In the blink of an eye—Kael vanished.

...

[ East Blue ]

A gentle breeze drifted across Foosha Village, brushing through the tall grass and swaying the wooden signs that hung lazily over stone paths. The village rested quietly on the coast of Dawn Island, a peaceful place hugged by dense forests and bathed in golden morning light.

Chimneys puffed soft trails of smoke into the air. Seagulls cried in the distance. Fishermen prepared their nets by the docks, their voices low and casual, as if the sea had always known their rhythm.

A handful of children ran through the village square, laughing, sticks in hand as they mimicked pirates and heroes. Near the edge of the street, the warm scent of freshly baked bread wafted from Makino's bar, where an old record played faint music through the open door. The sound of clinking glasses, light conversation, and laughter gave the place its heartbeat.

On a small hill that overlooked the entire village—a gentle slope leading to a single wide tree, its leaves rustling softly in the wind.

And beneath that tree stood a boy.

Barefoot, dressed in red shorts and a slightly oversized shirt, a straw hat resting loosely on his back, tied with a string around his neck. His jet-black hair danced with the breeze, and a scar curved gently under his left eye.

His arms were crossed behind his head as he stared out into the horizon.

The vast blue sea shimmered in the distance. Clouds drifted across a sapphire sky. It was the same view as always—yet to him, it felt like a whole new world.

He smiled. "I'm actually in One Piece," he muttered to himself.

Now in the body of Luffy, he had received all of Luffy's memories—more importantly, his will. It was as if they had merged. Luffy hadn't vanished completely; he still lingered in the depths of his mind, like a shadow within the memories.

He stood up, his eyes still fixed on the sea.

' I'm not weak, that's for sure. I just don't know how strong I am,' he thought.

Right now, it was two months before the story officially began—before he set sail. So for now, he had to get used to this body, fully adapt before even thinking of leaving the island.

Suddenly, a black screen appeared in front of him.

---

[ Welcome to the Monkey King Template.

Here you will see your progress in the growth of this template.

Surpass your limits, and you will gain a percentage equal to your development.

Currently, you have 0%, though you will be granted the Monkey King's martial arts skills. This is the last you'll hear from me. So if you have any questions, please ask. ]

"What do you mean by surpass my limits?"

[ It means you should train your body so it can grow stronger than it is right now.

When you finally unlock the pinnacle of Luffy's strength—Gear 5—you will receive all of Sun Wukong's powers.

Is that all? ]

Luffy thought about it for a moment, then gave a slight nod. He had no other questions.

[ Good. You have approximately 61 days before the story begins.

Good luck. ]

The screen shifted. Now it displayed his current growth percentage: 0%.

Luffy sighed.

' Alright, I need to grow stronger. Let's see if I can use Gum-Gum pistol' , he thought.

He took a stance, focused, then launched his arm forward. It stretched like rubber—just as expected. A grin crept across his face as it snapped back with a satisfying whack.

' Hmm, I guess I should train in martial arts. For now, let's go back. I'm honestly hungry,' he thought.

---

TO BE CONTINUED